Phantoms inhabit New Wimbledon Theatre according to a recent ghost tour held as part of the centenary celebrations.
By Chris Madden
Friendly phantoms inhabit New Wimbledon Theatre according to a recent ghost tour held as part of the centenary celebrations.
Members of the public joined investigators looking at the theatre’s ‘hotspots’ and performed a séance on the stage.
The tour, led by paranormal investigator Marq English, author of Paranormal Surrey, ended the first day of celebrations which are taking place all year.
“A lot of people are interested in the other side of theatre land and spooks,” said Mr English.
“Anywhere with a lot of people, a lot of energy, is a hotspot.”
New Wimbledon Theatre has a number of ghostly tales which have built up over its history.
Mr English said that much of this is due to the positive energy of a theatre. He stressed that such stories and sightings were nothing to worry about.
“All the spirits here are friendly,” he said, “Most of them are just people who loved the theatre and are drawn back here.”
During the on-stage séance, Mr English’s medium colleague Alan Barnett claimed that a spirit of an Edwardian lady was walking around the group.
This lady is one of two spirits who have been often reported in the theatre. She is apparently very common around the stalls area and in the orchestra pit.
The other presence the team found is an Edwardian gentleman in the dress circle and corridors.
This spirit has three reported sightings, and some claim it is the ghost of the theatre’s founder J B Mullholland.
Mr English says he is unwilling to put names to spirits who do not identify themselves.
“People need to look at the evidence they may get and try to come up with a more rational answer,” he said.
“Some are just fun little tales, I think, more folklore than an actual haunting.”
Mr English, a paranormal investigator for over 20 years, was asked to lead the tour due to his previous knowledge of the theatre, having worked there.
His team, Spiral Paranormal, is based in Surrey and investigate historic houses or allegedly haunted venues.
Mr English’s book will be published in May by Amberley Publishing. It has a foreword from Most Haunted’s Dr. Ciaran O’Keeffe.
